


s-s-symbolic

by Badfaith



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Fluff, Gen, Red Romance, eqradia
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-02
Updated: 2012-04-02
Packaged: 2017-11-02 23:12:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,087
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/374423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Badfaith/pseuds/Badfaith
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He'd thought, mistakenly that she hadn't caught him looking, but he was a foolish man.</p>
            </blockquote>





	s-s-symbolic

He'd thought, mistakenly that she hadn't caught him looking, but he was a foolish man.

 

Aradia never missed much. She understood to an extent—he was used to hiding his curiosity, any sort of empathy or personal interest and keeping his face free of emotion. Pretty much every salvageable thing about him existed behind his oft broken sun glasses and as his blank hound dog gaze darted away like a flitting insect.

 

He'd obviously forgotten that those glasses were curled in her hand, now slowly being shifted into her enormous pockets as they sat together in companionable, if slightly nervous silence. Equius hadn't learn how to steady his breathing around her yet either, had not learned gentleness except when it was tackle pounced on him. It was as if he lived in respectful fear of his own existence.

 

But she quickly got bored of that. That was one thing that hadn't changed about her.

 

“Equius” she said with false timidity, scooting closer.

 

He gave her his attention again-- he always gave her all of it at once like someone reporting to their boss or something, and his brow glistened in phantom sweat. He was so used to it that it became apart of his soul's imprint. The thought of that brought a playful smile back to her lips, but she quickly wiped it away, replacing it with a pout when she realized he was narrowing his eyes a little. He thought she was making fun of him.

 

She wasn't! Really! Poor guy. She smoothed her voice.

 

“You know you can touch them if you want to”.

 

A hiss of surprised breathe and then...

 

He was speechless, his jaw worked to no end, not grinding out words with any sort of productivity. She was dubious at first, sighing and tugging on her hood. _Oh fuck, I broke him!_ It was really like she'd gone and brained him with a blunt instrument.

 

Finally he wrestled his voice into his familiar pompous growl, the one that made her eyes roll every time. She could feel his hand jumping a little as if it wanted to reach for a towel that wasn't there.

 

“Aradia that is just _unthinkable_ \-- it's--”

 

He was about to say something stupid like _inappropriate_ , or _dangerous_. Dangerous to a girl who'd died a thousand deaths! (Actually it was many more, but that train of thought was best left for work and not play).

 

She groaned, shoving back against him a little in frustration. Sometimes she even slugged him—it wasn't like he could feel it and it made interacting with him all the time a lot easier. Words of wisdom from Nepeta.

 

“Equius I'm your matesprit now aren't I? What could possibly be wrong with wanting you to touch me...and you wanting to touch me? It's natural”! She frowned. “Unless you're still twisted up about the hemospectrum to which I say-”.

 

He looked down. Straight down. And she stopped, feeling a wave of pity press down on her. Sometimes Karkat did know what he was talking about.

 

“I...well....”

 

When Aradia shook her head, her black locks bounced.

 

“No excuses! If you don't want to..then fine. Don't. But if you do I don't want you denying yourself anything." she said "We've more than earned a little time together, don't you think”? She leaned forward and pressed her cheek against his chest, feeling him tense and ignoring it. “A little closeness. We have a right to that now”.

 

“but” his voice broke tone a little and became quieter, and then she knew she'd found the heart of it. “I could hurt you”.

 

For anyone else, Aradia had all the empathy and patience in the world. She was used to guiding people slowly to their conclusions like a patient teacher. But empathy and patience didn't work well on Equius.

 

She slung her arm backwards and reached up to firmly squish bony cheek bones, grabbing his face and pulling him like a stubborn mule being led where it didn't want to go. She forced him to look down at her face again, moving her mouth slowly.

 

“Goood. Tieeer.”

 

He flushed b100 a little, but after a moment sighed wearily. Even he could see the silliness in the situation inherent. Once they'd locked eyes again she ever so slowly relaxed her elbows...letting his face go hesitantly in a sort of okay, I'm trusting you! Kind of way.

 

His hands seemed clumsy and intimidating at first glance, but Aradia knew more than any one that those fingers were deft and careful, suited for detail work. Suited for art-- in a fashion. But why couldn't he see that? She hoped that one day she'd be able to show him and perhaps this would help. A tiny stepping stone.

 

His fingers tips brushed over air – close to her skin-- not touching it-- and she was about to complain before she finally felt the calloused fingertips along the exoskeleton of her wings, and she felt that comfortable weight distribute again, ever so slowly as his fingers fanned out and then spread over her jeweled wingspan. She grinned and flicked them a little, opening and closing them like a butterfly. That made him smile, wonder of all wonders.

 

She felt so goddamn pretty under his gaze, it wasn't invasive or unsettling like she used to think it was, back when his eyes were still b100. Aradia wasn't an insecure girl, at least not any longer, but Equius's eyes did more for her than any mirror ever could. Inside them, she felt free.

 

“They feel as good as they look...and they're beautiful” he said,his voice containing the barest indication of unsteadiness, tempered with something she knew specifically to be gratitude. That was how Sollux had sounded when she'd led him to the place he was now. “and STRONG” he added as an after thought. “They appeared to be so delicate, I have to admit..I was f001ed quite thoroughbredly”.

 

“Hehehe, if they were delicate they couldn't carry me, sillyface”. Another Nepeta gem. That made him smile again. Two in one night?! Good lord. She was on a roll.

 

“What do they feel like”? She asked, laughing a warmly at how ridiculous he was. What a ridiculous production he made out of everything with a cast and a crew and an oscar nomination. She curled against him tighter and this time there was no tensing.

 

He drew his digits back, mulling it over before coming to his conclusion.

 

“It's a bit like life”.

 

 

 

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> 'Stuttering' by Ben's Brother  
> <3  
> sorryifItrickedyou


End file.
